Your DIY Coconut Oil Recipes Can Be Dangerous, Potentially Causing Infections If Not Used Properly

Alas, it appears coconut oil may have reached its peak as the superfood extraordinaire for everything from a delicious stir-fry to acne cure. Allure reported that, in certain instances, coconut oil can be dangerous. As a girl with two Costo-sized jugs in both her bathroom and kitchen, this is not the best news I've received today.

Inspired by a coconut oil chart making its way across Pinterest, Allure reached out to Jeannete Graf, a Manhattan-based dermatologist, to get the full story on coconut oil's capabilities. While the chart contains some perfectly safe ideas like using coconut oil as moisturizer or detangler, it also suggests making DIY coconut oil eye-liner and sunscreen. These were two major red flags for Graf.

Graf was really, really against mixing coconut oil with activated charcoal or cocoa powder for homemade eyeliner, claiming, "the chance of infection is high when you’re using food-grade products that are not sterilized in the same way and not made in the same sterile condition as [makeup sold in stores]." She makes a good point when you think about the fact that you're putting things righhhhhhhht next to your eyes. Eeek.

Additionally, Graf points out the problems with homemade coconut oil sunscreen, saying, "If you made your own sunscreen, you'd have no idea what your SPF or coverage is. Plus you don’t know what kind of zinc oxide you’re going to get, and you don’t even know if it's going to get into the solution when you do it. You shouldn’t mess around with your health."

Considering how I have absolutely zero desire to get an eye infection or end up with skin cancer from lack of proper sunscreen protection, I'll be heeding her advice. But there are still plenty of ways to rock some DIY coconut oil love, like making your own lip balm, skin softeners, and hair masks. Phew. Viva la coconut oil!